Carriage-axle box



(No Model.) I

A. G. HILL.

' CARRIAGE AXLE BOX. No. 432,199. Patented July 15, 1890.

UNITED STATES I PATENT -OEEIcE.

ASA G. I-IILIJ, OF STONEI-IAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

CARRIAGE-AXLE BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,199, dated July 15,1890.

I Application filed April 24, 1890. $erial No. 349,304. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ASA G. HILL, of Stoneham, in the county of Middlesexand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Carriage-Axles and Boxes Therefor, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to carriage-axles, and it has for its object toprovide an axle-box which shall prevent end shake and rattle of an axletherein, and which is also adapted to prevent oil from leaking at theouter end thereof and saturating the wooden hub of a wheel and therebyloosening the spokes.

The invention consists, first, in the combination of an axle box whichis internally screw-threaded at its outer end, an externallythreadedsleeve screwed into said end and constituting an adjustable extension ofthe axle-box, and a j am-nut on said sleeve adapted to be turned upagainst the end of the box to hold the sleeve or extension at any pointto which it may be adjusted, the sleeve being adapted to be adjustedoutwardly against or toward the usual nut on the outer end of theaxle-arm to take up end shake or rattle caused by wear of the end of thebox or of the inner face of the axle-nut or of the washer interposedbetween said parts. I

The invention also consists in the combination, with an axle-arm, of anut screwed on the outer end thereof and provided with an annular rib onits inner end, the axle-box having an annular rib on its outer end, anda compressible washer interposed between said box and nut, said washerbeing indented by the two annular ribs, whereby leakage of oil from theinterior of the box isprevented, all of which I will now proceed todescribe.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of an axle and axle-boxembodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents an end View of the same.

In the drawings, a represents one arm of. an axle, of the usual oranysuitable form, having a shoulder a and being screw-threaded at itsouter end to engage the usual screwthreaded nut or cap (1.

1) represents an axle-box,which has a shoulder at b to correspond to theshoulder a of the axle a. A leather washer is introduced as usual,between said shoulders a and 1) iii order to make a tight joint betweenthe said shoulders when the axle-box I) is in place on the axle-arm a.Said axle-box Z) isinternally screw-threaded at' its outer end to enga ethe externally screw-threaded sleeve j, which forms an extension of theaxle-box. Thebox b is made shorter than the bearing portion of theaxle-arm, so that there is room between the outer end and the axle nutor cap (I for the sleeve f. The externally screw-threaded portion of thesleeve f, engaged with the internal screw-thread of the axle-box proper,is adapted to form an extension of the axle-box. It is also adapted tobe adjusted so as to make the axle-boxof different lengths, which isdone by screwing it out of the axle-box to make it longer, and thuscompensate for the shortening oft-he box by wear, and by screwin it inwhen required to make it shorter. b

In order to firmly fix the sleeve f in any position 111 which it may bedesired with respect to the axle-box proper b, I provide a am-nut c,engaged with the external screwthreaded portion of the sleeve f andadapted to bear against the end of the axle-box proper Z), and therebyhold the sleeve f firmly in any position in which it may be adjustedwith respect to the axle-box proper Z). Said jam-nut c is provided witha beveled flange 0 on the outer side of which are two holes adapted torecelve the prongs of awrench, whereby said am-nut may be loosened fromits bearin on the end of the axle-box proper when it is required toadjust the sleeve f and tightened when said sleeve has been adjusted toits required length. It will be seen that by the use of said adjustablesleeve fand of said am-nut c all end shake or rattle of the axle (b 1nthe axle-box may be prevented. IVhen it is found that from wear ofwashers or of the axle or axle-box or from any other cause the axle isshaking endwise in said axle-box the am-nut c is slightly unscrewed. Thesleeve f may then be screwed outwardly until it takes up the end playcaused by wear by lengthening or extending the box as a whole (the saldsleeve f constituting an extensioli of the axle-box.) The jam-nut isthen screwed tight against the outer end of the axle-box b,

thus firmly securing the sleeve f in the position to which it was lastadjusted.

By the above-described devices it will be seen that all, end shake orrattle will be prevented and a firm and tight joint maintained at eachend between the axle and axle-box.

The sleeve f has at its outer end the recessed enlargement or head f,which is adapted to receive the usual nut or cap cl, and is madepolygonal on its exterior so that it can be grasped and rotated by awrench. On the inner end of the nut d is an annular lip d On the surfaceof the sleeve f, opposing the nut or cap d, is a similar annular lip f".When the sleevcf and the nut or cap at are respectively engaged with theaxle-box and axle, said annular lips f and d are of course concentric;but the circle of the lip d is, of larger diameter than that of the lipf,- hence when the cap or nut d is screwed up so that its inner end willbear upon the surface of the sleeve f the said annular lips d f willoverlap each other. A leather washer to is introduced between said capor nut (Z and the sleeve f, and when the cap (:1 is screwed up tightsaid washer, being held between the overlapping annular lips d and f',will make a tight joint, which will prevent the leakage of oil fromthe outer end of the axle-arm and the consequent damage to the hub andspokes of a wheel by saturation with oil. The adjustability of thesleeve f enables its rib or lip f to be set out toward the nut 01 fromtime to time to enable the latter to increase the compression of thewasher, so that when the washer has been compressed so long that it hasno tendency to expand and make a tight joint it may be additionallycompressed to tighten the joint.

I claim 1. In an axle-box, the combination of the main section 1), madeshorter than the bearing portion of the axle-arm and provided with aninternallyscrew-threaded recess at'itsouter end, the externally-threadedsleeve or extension 'f, formed to engage the internal thread of the saidrecess and constituting the outer end of the box, said box beingadjustable in length by the rotation of the said outer end, and a checkor jam nut engaged with the external thread of the sleeve f and adaptedto be turned up against the outer end of the main section of the box tohold the adjustable sleeve or extension at any position to which it maybe adjusted, as set forth.

2. The combination of the main box-section b, having an internalscrew-thread in its outer end, the externally-threaded sleeve orextension f, and the check or jam nut engaged with the threaded sleeveand provided with an outwardly-projecting flange at its outer end havingorifices to engage the prongs of a wrench or spanner, as set forth.

3. The combination of the axle-arm, the nut (I, screwed upon the outerend of the arm and provided with an annular ribon its inner end, theaxle-box composed of the main section a and the adjustable sleeve orextension f, the latter having an annular rib on its outer end ofdifferent diameter from the rib on the inner end of the nut, and acompressible washer interposed between the outer end of the sleeve.

f and the inner end of thenut, said washer being indented by said ribs,whereby leakage of oil from the interior of the box is prevented, theadjustability of the sleeve f en;

abling its rib to be set out toward the nut to permit increasedcompression of the washer from time to time, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 22d day of April, A. D.1890.

ASA e. HI L.

Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON.

